We love cow's milk. We have grown up with our adults constantly enlightening us with many false facts about milk. The bigger question to answer is: Is milk everything it promises to be? Will our skin become ‘fair’ if we drink it twice? Will our bones grow stronger with milk? Here we bust some popular myths and false facts about milk:

STRONGER BONES: The biggest myth we have been taught while growing up is, no milk means no muscles. A recent study published by the British Medical Journal states that the more milk you consume, the higher your chances are of getting a hip fracture. Therefore, it is safe to say that you don’t necessarily need milk to improve your bones.

NO CALCIUM DEFICIENCY: Surprisingly, calcium is not only present in dairy products like curd and milk. Hence, even if you have enough fruits, leafy greens, beans, nut milk like almond milk and fortified cereals like bran flakes, you will still be able to have strong teeth and bones with no calcium deficiency.

BYE BYE TUMMY TROUBLES: In Indian homes, we are often told that milk heals all digestive issues. But there are many who are lactose intolerant. Lactose is a sugar found in milk, which many are intolerant to and end up having constipation. Lactase, an enzyme responsible for breaking down dairy, stops getting produced in the body if you are lactose intolerant. So, till you stop consuming milk, your tummy troubles will not go.

LOW RISK: Those who stop consuming milk or refrain from its consumption are at a lower risk of developing cancer, according to research. Other than this, packaged milk available in the market may be low in fat but high in sugar, making us predisposed to diabetes. Hence, those who are lactose intolerant are less likely to get diabetes.

BETTER SKIN: There is absolutely no co-relation between good skin and milk. Despite this, the popular Indian myth talks about how milk can give you a ‘fair and glowing skin’. Dermatologists recommend going off dairy if you have skin issues like acne, eczema or other skin disorders. If you have skin problems, refrain from consuming milk and see the difference.

WEIGHT LOSS: Intake of excess milk can actually give you a bloated stomach. There is no scientific study which suggests that drinking milk will make you lose weight. If you wish to lose weight, stick to soybean or almond milk for better results.

BALANCED HORMONES: Cows and buffaloes are often injected with hormones to increase their milk production. As a result, we end up consuming these hormones and expose our body to hormonal imbalances which lead to issues like thyroid. Artificial hormones are extremely dangerous and intake of these should be stopped right away. Other than this, milk naturally has hormones like progesterone and testosterone in it.